The Opera's Chorus Girl
by cadleigh
Summary: Felicity was never recognized for her true talent. She started out just the way Christine did, and then her fate takes a tragic turn, and not necessarily for the best.
1. Chapter 1

AN:I had originally wrote this on my Ipod, and then e-mailed it to myself, consequently, auto correct is awful to work with. There might be some random words in my chapters, and hopefully I will fix them all. Sorry for the oddness of the wording. Also, I would like to note the fact that it's a short chapter. Getting started with this, they will probably be short just to set the plot up, but they will definitely be longer in times to come.

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3rd person

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Yes, it was true that she was only a chorus girl in the magnificent opera house, but she liked to imagine herself as much much more. Felicity was only 16, but very beautiful and extremely talented... And yet, no one ever seemed to see it in her.

She was fair skinned, medium height with dark blue eyes, which were as deep as the ocean. She was often complimented on her appearance, but that seemed to be the only thing.  
She often found herself humming the music they were singing alone in her room at night when she couldn't fall asleep. But lately, she had a feeling, a sense that someone was watching her. But that wasn't possible, she would tell herself. Felicity never listened to the rumors of the opera ghost. To everyone else, she looked very brave for not being frightened, but to herself the only reason she didn't listen was because she didn't want to scare herself. Truth be told, she was absolutely terrified of the very thought of there being a mysterious killing man roaming the halls of the only place that comforted her.

But one night, the feeling of danger had overcome her to a point where she was nearly in tears. Something over came her though, something she never knew she had the courage to do. Instead of burrowing herself into her blankets once more, she slow slid out from under the covers and stood up. Felicity could tell that there was definitely something in her dorm with her and her room mate, Meg. Meg could sleep through anything though and would never notice the movements that she was making.

Felicity closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. She glanced behind her at Meg, who was indeed sound asleep, and she grabbed her robe from the bed post at the end of her bed and walked out of the room trying to make as little noise as possible.

She shut the door with a "click" and she walked down the hall; her bare feet patting the floor the whole way. She glanced around every once and a while to make sure that no one was following her. She wasn't quite sure why, but she was heading to the stage. It was like her mind was suddenly in her feet, and had completely left her head.  
Felicity made a sharp left turn from the dormitory out to the main hallway. There were paintings and posters of past operas and shows. She gazed at them in wonder, if she would ever be able to star in one of the many shows. She shook her head to clear the thought out if her mind; afraid of the answer. She walked up the steps to the stage,walked to the center of it and gazed out at the hundreds of empty seats before her. She had the feeling of being watched in there even stronger than in her room.

"Who's there?" she called out on a whim. She could hear a melodic laughter in the back of the room, where when she looked, no one was there, nothing but a dark shadow. "I know you're there. And whoever you are, you should leave quickly before I have you arrested!" her voice shook with fear. She could suddenly feel a cool breeze behind her. Everything in her body told her not to turn around, but somehow, she managed to go against it.

What she saw was exactly what she hoped not to see. Before her very eyes was the man, nay-the thing that filled her nightmares. He was fairly tall, a good head above her, he wore a long black cape that spilled out behind him. He had black gloves and shirt and pants. And the thing that scared her the most, was not this, but the white mask that only covered half of his face. The half uncovered was beautiful. Very defined features, and he had very dark eyes, they hid something, she couldn't place what it was, but they were full of a lifetime of hatred.

Her mouth was open slightly, and her eyes were wide in shock. She realized that she was staring and she quickly looked down only to look back up again.

"There is nothing to be afraid of, child. I won't hurt you." he spoke calmly and smooth, his voice was like velvet.  
She simply nodded before speaking. "Why did you bring me here?" her voice humbled by the superior air that he gave off. The girl and the phantom were nearly face to face.

"Because I, much unlike those fools that run my theater, have realized you gift and your potential. Your voice is beautiful, but it needs the proper training, which I can help you with, my dear."

"Well, I appreciate the offer, but I'll never get very far from being a simple chorus girl." She started to walk away. She felt a hand grab her arm. Felicity looked back at him, a look of pleading in her eyes.

"You could go so much farther with me." The look he had in his eyes made her believe him against everything that told her not to even trust him.

she simply nodded with wide eyes. There was something about the man that made her feel like she was a mere subject to his superiority. "I must go back to my room before they realize that I am gone."

"Yes, you should go." He dropped my arm delicately. I quickly walked off the stage, but when i looked back to have one last glance at the ghost, he was gone without a sound.


	2. Chapter 2

It was a strange feeling that I had felt as I was walking back to my dorm. It wasn't like the sensation of being watched more as the feeling of emptiness and loneliness. It had grown so used to feeling watched that it was strange to me to not feel it any more.

I had awoken the next morning drowsy, I hadn't realized just how long and how late I was up. Thankfully Meg never noticed my midnight disappearance, or if she did she never mentioned it to me.  
"We need to get this right girl's! The opening show is in one week!" Madame Giry instructed us of the chaos around us. La Carlotta was to open soon, and we hadn't had our dance down well enough to even perform it in front of a school of fish much less a jam packed theater. "If you do not have it at least a little better by tomorrow evening we will be staying much later tomorrow than everyone else." By now most of the sound had stopped.

'Surely it can't be from Giry, she yells at us often enough, there is nothing new about it.' I thought  
We all slowly turned around to look at what everyone else stared at. Just as we did, and the whole opera house was silent, there came a letter floating down and landed gently to the ground, seal side up. Nobody seemed to move from their place, they all just looked up towards the rafters, gazing at the invisible person that was always gone before they could catch a glimpse of him.

I looked around at everybody, and slowly walked over to pick up the letter. They all gaped at me-wide eyed and open mouthed. There was no name of who the letter was addressed to, so I opened the red seal that closed the small cream colored envelope. I happened to glance up as I was pealing it apart, and I noticed that everyone was staring at me. I opened it and quickly read it.

"What does it say?" Carlotta demanded from me immediately. I only glanced up at her in annoyance. Although she may be my superior, she was not one that I respected.

I cleared my voice in annoyance, and to prepare myself for reading the letter. I gave one last glance at the crowd before reading the letter.

"To the cast and crew of the Opera Populaire," I read. "It has been apparent that our new owners clearly know nothing about the arrangement and management of my opera house,"

"_His_ opera house?" Richard interrupted in an astonished voice. I simply ignored it and continued.

"I would like to inform them of the 20,000 franks a month that is owed to me. I am still currently behind on my last payment, but I have decided to overlook it considering the circumstances." There were grumbles amongst the crowd. "And as for the cast, I have observed your practices, and if that is the way that you all plan to perform it next week, I would consider revising it. There are many more flaws than just the chorus girls.

"Which brings me to my next point, I believe that it is in the best interest to have Carlotta put in the background with the other girls, and bring up Felicity Dupuis…" My voice trailed off. I just stared at the page for about half a second before continuing at twice the speed of before. "She has an amazing talent, much more than Ms. Carlotta. These are my terms and conditions for now. Do not be surprised to receive more letters and notes.

And do would like it to be reminded to everyone that box five is to be left open for my personal use only.

Signed, O.G" I finished. Carlotta strolled over in her pompous way with her head high and shoulders back, and took the letter out of my hand; as if she needed proof of what I said. She couldn't believe that anyone would think that someone else was better than her. She was extremely self-centered. She threw the letter at me after she skimmed over it, and she stormed off the stage in a huff. I tried to contain my giggles, but one escaped and I covered it up with a cough.  
"So girl, you can sing?" Andre had asked me in a tone of disbelief and disgust.  
"Anyone can sing, it is just a matter if they can sing well or not." I replied, highly offended by his comment toward me.  
"Well, do you?" his partner, Moncharmin, asked in an annoyed tone.  
"I suppose so." I smiled slightly and shyly.  
"Well, go on, give us a sample if what you can do." Richard hastened me towards the middle of the stage.  
I sang only a few bars of the first song I could think of, considering I had not known any of the ones from this opera no matter how many times I had heard Carlotta practically scream the notes out.  
"Very good, very good. We will keep you in mind for the next opera." Richard cut me off mid-word and gave me a warm smile.  
"Well thank you so very much. I'm very grateful for the consideration." I smiled and blushed. Up in the seats there came a clapping, and by the sounds coming behind me everyone else had all assumed what I did- that it had been the Opera Ghost. But when the figure stepped out of the shadows, he was anything but phantom-like, quite the opposite even. His face was like an angle, and his eyes made his face look so living and caring. There were sounds of relief behind me, and I couldn't help but let out a small sigh of relief.

"Ah, Vicomte de Chagny, how kind of you for coming to visit our humble theater." Moncharmin bellowed up to the man, who was descending down to the stairs and up to the stage.

"It is my pleasure. I'm just grateful that you are allowing me to intrude upon your… entertaining rehearsals. I can't say that I've seen anything like it in a while." His voice was silky smooth, and his chuckle at the end of what he spoke was like a god's voice.

Carlotta appeared behind us again, as loud and as boisterous as ever. "Well," she flipped her brown hair behind her shoulder. "I'm glad we could provide you with some amusement."

He shot her an awkward smile in return.

"You will be back for opening night, is that correct?" Andre asked him, twirling his handkerchief around in his hands.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world." And I might have been severely paranoid, but I could have sworn that the smile that he presented, was directed toward me, which made me instantly blush.

"Thank you, we look forward to seeing you back here next week." Richard shook his hand and with one last bow to us all, and the beautiful man left.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The opera house was all a flutter with the very idea of a Count being in the midst of our opera house. There had been many that had visited before, it was the Opera Populaire, everybody visited it, but very rarely did they have a man so very interested in it.

I stayed away from the group that had formed in the middle of the stage that was conversing about the upcoming show. It seemed that everyone was suddenly more inclined to rehearse than before and make it their best show yet.

From the outside looking in, you could tell that there would be no possible way to get the rest of the cast and crew able to go back to practice, so I slowly crept off the stage. As soon as I knew that there was no one watching me and that I could not be seen, I ran off backstage. Through it, I ran straight through to the corridors where those of us that had no other home stayed. There was nobody behind the stage because they were all running around elsewhere trying to get things that would make the show much better.

The halls were empty and my footsteps echoed throughout them. The dim lights that lighted them up flickered with the wind that swept through them. At the first intersection I took a right and went down to my room. At first I was feeling ashamed of myself for leaving everybody and going my own way, but I started not caring after I realized just how tired I was. The previous night's events had kept me up later than usual and I was basically a walking body.

I pulled the key to my room out of the small pocket in my frock and unlocked the door. That is, I tried to. I moved the key every which way that I possibly could, but it just wouldn't budge. After a few minutes I finally gave up and slumped my body down to the ground and leaned against the door. I sat for a moment before I heard the creaking of the door and my back was falling. Luckily I caught myself before I fell down to the dirty, cold stone floor.

I pushed myself up off of the ground and stepped into the small room that way mine and Meg's. I turned around to shut the door, but it quickly slammed behind me. Slightly spooked, I spun around the room and searched for somebody. Although no one came out, I could tell that I was not alone.

"Are you the one? The one that dropped the note down?" I asked to whatever- or whoever- was in my room with me. There was no immediate answer. I sighed and sat down on my bed. "Well, if you're not going to answer me I'm just going to make all of the assumptions I want." I said to myself in a bratty tone.

"Do I detect a hint of anger in your voice." The voice I had heard from the night before came from everywhere in my room. There was possible way for me to figure out where it was coming from directly. I stood up from my bed and looked around for the melodic sound which was my ghost.

"You know who I am, but I don't know you. It isn't fair. I believe that is enough to cause some anger in anybody's life, sir." I replied back quickly. I was feeling feisty in my sleep deprived state. Although Meg would have probably said that I was often like that. His reply was just as quick.

"Yes, but I think it would be better for all of us that you not know who I was. Nobody would believe you anyway, darling." He called out in almost a fatherly manner. From what I could tell from the day before, he did seem a few years my senior, but not very much. He was indeed quite handsome, the part that he showed at the very least.

"They all think that I am crazy anyway. And from the looks of it, I am." I laughed to myself. "Here I am, sitting in my room-alone. There is no visible person except for a voice that seems to be emanating from all around me. If I had not seen that you were a visible person last night, I would find myself going off my rocker as well." I sighed in depression. "Unless it was just a dream and I am just making you up in my head." There was no other reasonable explanation. Except the note, that was the only form of physical evidence I could provide myself with to make me believe that I wasn't completely insane.

"I can assure you that you are not crazy. You shall be soon though if you do not get some sleep soon. I shall leave you to rest." His voice faded away from my room and I lie down and let my head on my soft pillow. I fell asleep the moment I did.

My dreams were filled of nothing. I did not remember them. I awoke immediately when I could hear Meg's soft pitter patters of feet enter the room. She tried to be quiet, but I was too much of a light sleeper to be able to not wake up.

I rolled over on the bed to look at her staring at me.

"You left early." She told me. "No one really noticed except for some of us. Lucky for you though. We did nothing but talk of Mr. De Changy, Carlotta is positive that he was looking at her. You know how she is though; always thinking that she is what is on everybody's mind."

I sighed. "Unfortunately, yes." I sat up from my sleeping position and placed myself at the end of the bed.

"Dinner is soon, and you haven't eaten at all. Come, we'll go together." She held her hand out to me and I took it as we walked out of the room together.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Frustrated and angry, I shrieked out slightly before stomping over to my cozy bed to throw myself on top of it. I was angry and upset with him and myself. I shouldn't bother with someone of whom I didn't even know existed a mere twenty-four hours before. It was also his fault; being so mysterious and dark would draw anyone to him. He was my flame and I was the stupid moth, just waiting to be burnt to a crisp.

Before long, I drifted off into a restless slumber and did my best to try and not think about him. I tried not to think about anyone for that matter. They were none of my business and I didn't want to get too much attached to them at all. I was content with being in solitude and my only friend being Meg. There was nothing wrong with normal.

That was when I made my decision to focus only on my work; dancing and the occasional singing and completely forget about him, or Mr. deChangy, who had occasionally drifted into my thoughts much more than I cared for. So when Meg awoke me again to tell me that it was time to dress, I thought of only dressing, and to make it my best practice yet.

That I did. I never realized how well I could do if I stopped thinking. Although it wasn't something I particularly loved, I was a fair dancer and I found myself being lost in it. There were no mysterious happenings at rehearsal; everything went swimmingly, other than the fact that we had been missing Carlotta. She had quit the day before because our new owners refused to try and do anything about the opera ghost. No one was very upset by the fact that she was gone; in fact, the whole place seemed a little less tense and much more relaxed.

That was until the thought finally occurred to someone that we needed a fill-in for the lead female role. Yesterday, I would have gladly volunteered to do it, but now I felt obligated only to dance. I was in the midst of stretching when I heard the whispers.

Apparently, no one knew her part well enough to be able to pull it off with in the next week. I was aware of this, but when I heard my name mentioned I stopped everything that I was doing.

Madame Giry was speaking to the owners. "Felicity can do it. She has been studying this role since the very beginning. I have no doubt that she would be able to succeed at it even better than before." The men gave a glance at each other. "Let her try, she is the best chance you have." She informed them, her French accent coming out flawlessly.

The men went to talk to the maestro while I slowly stood up from my sitting position on the stage and walked over to Meg, who was standing and talking to the rest of her friends. "I can't do that." I said, I knew that they had all been listening tentatively to the conversation that had just taken place.

Meg looked up at me. I was at least a head taller than her. "I know you can. It will all be alright, I have faith in you, even if you don't have it in yourself." She grabbed my hand and squeezed it when we noticed the owners coming back on stage.

"Ms. Dupuis, would you please stand on center stage?" it wasn't a question. I hesitated, and letting go of my dear friends hand I walked to where I was directed. The music to the beautiful love song that took place in the middle of the play started up. It was true, I knew every word, every note to the song and I knew I would be able to reach them. Doing it well was my only problem.

When my voice cracked unfortunately on the ending note, the music stopped abruptly and walked away. The whispers started up again and I didn't pay attention. Meg's group of friends gathered around me and told me comforting things.

The two men jaunted over to us. "We have decided that if we have someone else sing the last note, you will have to do." I was told reluctantly. I was their only hope. I didn't want my voice to be dubbed though, and I would hate to have someone else have that final glory of the last glorious note, and I was determined to get it on my own before the opening performance.

Despite my efforts, I knew what I would have to do. I had to talk to Erik if I wanted to be able to get it well enough in a week. It wasn't my ideal situation and I wasn't sure I would be able to contact him, but I knew that he would be around as soon as he heard that I had to sing the lead. Hopefully for my sake, he still wasn't upset from the previous night's events.


End file.
